have a garage... now need another cool car to park it in :D

[The Father]

Maybe it was the wing that made the Subaru offensive.
How about the wingless STI

 

[abrod520]

The Father

Maybe it was the wing that made the Subaru offensive.
How about the wingless STI

But now it just doesn't look right!

Interested to see the next-gen which should be dropping sometime in the next couple weeks though

 

[30t1]

I’m partial to this one.

 

[vintage hab]

It has to start with a P, as in Porsche. Where I'm from, BMW stands for Bus, Metro and Walking.

Here's a 991 Targa

 

[Lonestar]

64Wing

love it but missing two wheels 😁

The Father

Maybe it was the wing that made the Subaru offensive.
How about the wingless STI

An STi without a wing is not an STi.... 😁 but that's one hell of a sleeper here once de-badged, most people won't have a clue. But then again, what's the point... a boosted Scooby must be brash, noisy, gaudy, blue and gold - period 🫨😜


@30t1 & @vintage hab



and



but lovely cars for sure!

So far the S2000 is turning out to be in the lead and I'm looking into them with much scrutiny... Amazing how that car has held value 10yrs after its discontinuation. I also realized the Euro-spec cars don't have the 2.2L, which is actually a good thing 😁

Keep'em coming!

 

[Watch my Whisky]

For 30k, there are some good options.

If it were my money, and using Los Angeles and SFBA Craigslist as a guide:

E46 M3
Cayman S
Frogeye WRX STI
FD RX7
W210 / W211 E55
AP1 / AP2 S2000 (AP1 is better)
Pristine MX5
Pristine Foxbody Mustang

You could get great examples of these with limited work and maintenance or modification required to be enjoyable.

An E30 would be amazing, but most are wrecks and the M3 is rightly beyond that price point. E36 M3 prices have become stupid. 996s are great, but you’ll have to explain them to anyone who asks. DC2 Integra Type Rs are no longer available and R32 Skylines appreciated a lot quicker than anyone anticipated.

 

[styggpyggeno1]

I believe you might have missed one car. Many do.

Misunderstood, destroyed by US laws and the oil crisis, under-valued and -priced. Ignore the US-models (parkbench bumpers, low compression smog engines, soft suspension and buck eyed sealed beam front lights) and try an early 4-speed manual, high compression, no smog equipment, no AC, as they were originally designed, 1971 Mercedes Benz 350 SL. The 3.5 litre, 200 DIN hp SOHC V8, fuel injected engine paired with a manual gearbox makes this a totally different experience than the later ones. Modern suspension, ventilated disc brakes, etc. Rims are made by Fuchs (yes - same as Porsche) and are forged - weighing in at only 8 kg a piece at 6,5x14.

A 50 year old car that you can use for real. On the autobahn (200+ km/h), in the Alps, etc. You grand tour in 140 all day without problems. Rear boot with ample luggage space for two.

The version for Sweden (this one) has seatbelts, head rests, two side mirrors and a stiffer suspension. 0-100 km/h in 8 seconds (better that what MB told at the time) might not be lightning quick but in 1971 it was splendid.

The problem is... finding an early manual in nice condition. And un-tampered with. 99% or so were sold with an automatic. I was very lucky to find such a car (94 000 km, original and manual).

Hardtop and cabriolet makes this a true "convertible".

Edited: Sep 3, 2021

 

[Watch my Whisky]

^ Absolutely!

 

[Erik_H]

styggpyggeno1

I believe you might have missed one car. Many do.

Agree. And as we can see it goes very well with an Omega Flightmaster.

 

[Tony C.]

Are those MBs really <30k?

 

[abrod520]

Watch my Whisky

AP1 / AP2 S2000 (AP1 is better)

Damn right! (bolding mine)

9000 rpm or go home. 😜

 

[philips]

Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD sounds cool.

 

[styggpyggeno1]

Tony C.

Are those MBs really <30k?

I bought mine here in Sweden three years ago for <15k and it was concidered priced right at that time. (edit - sorry - four years ago)

The nice ones are on their way up in price. If I look today at our local sell site here - there are 31 R107 MB SL: s for sale. The range is 10k to 35k. I rate mine at 30k.

edit II - for clarity - the OP were talking Euro and so do I.

Edited: Sep 3, 2021

 

[Lurk41]

styggpyggeno1

Can we get 2 "like" buttons? One for the car, one for the flightmaster 👍

 

[Jonathan40]

abrod520

Have S2000; can recommend 👍

Not ideal if you want it for winter getaways though. On the other hand, maintenance is nil - it will start right up every time you want to take an occasional drive or trip.

For nil maint and will put a smile on you face every time you drive it the S2000 is a great choice. Honda make great engines. Handling is a bit sketchy when pushed but brilliant 2 seat fun.
Might even appreciate in value
Great problem to have, I haven’t had a 2 seat blast car for nearly 5 years now, long story but as soon as the wife has her replacement new car I’m selling our middle car and going back to having a toy.
Sorry forgot to say. Unless you have a talented mechanic then most other options will be expensive to own.

 

[abrod520]

Jonathan40

For nil maint and will put a smile on you face every time you drive it the S2000 is a great choice. Honda make great engines. Handling is a bit sketchy when pushed but brilliant 2 seat fun.
Might even appreciate in value

First thing to do is ditch the OEM Bridgestone Potenza S02 tires. Those are flaming garbage - they grip and grip and grip until nothing and are absolutely useless in the wet or when worn even a little. Because I live in the Northeast US, mine is on Michelin Pilot Sport All Seasons and I've driven it through some of the nasty thunderstorms we've had this summer with confidence (not pushing it of course, but the Bridgestones would spin you even driving carefully at reasonable speeds. Ask me how I know 😉 )

As for appreciating in value, they already are. Lower-mileage stock examples are starting to take off a little bit too

 

[ghce]

abrod520

First thing to do is ditch the OEM Bridgestone Potenza S02 tires. Those are flaming garbage - they grip and grip and grip until nothing and are absolutely useless in the wet or when worn even a little. Because I live in the Northeast US, mine is on Michelin Pilot Sport All Seasons and I've driven it through some of the nasty thunderstorms we've had this summer with confidence (not pushing it of course, but the Bridgestones would spin you even driving carefully at reasonable speeds. Ask me how I know 😉 )

As for appreciating in value, they already are. Lower-mileage stock examples are starting to take off a little bit too

After similar incidents and near accidents in the wet I changed my tire buying practice to only purchase full silicon tires, the cost may be greater but water is not a lubricant to silicon in the same way that rubber is plus there is also the added benefit or lower rolling resistance that improves fuel economy plus they are actually lighter for steering, win win win.
I initially started buying Uni-Royal rain tires they really pulled the stopping distance in compared to excellently rated soft compound Yokohamas I had been using at the time. YMMV but I became an instant convert.

 

[Observer]

Many mentions of the GTV6 (I think it's ugly). I'd go for a 2 liter GTV. Great engine and gearbox and if you don't wreck it, it'll always be worth what you paid. Same with a Berlina. A BMW 2002 with round tail lights and a 5-speed upgrade would be pretty nice, too.

 

[abrod520]

ghce

After similar incidents and near accidents in the wet I changed my tire buying practice to only purchase full silicon tires, the cost may be greater but water is not a lubricant to silicon in the same way that rubber is plus there is also the added benefit or lower rolling resistance that improves fuel economy plus they are actually lighter for steering, win win win.
I initially started buying Uni-Royal rain tires they really pulled the stopping distance in compared to excellently rated soft compound Yokohamas I had been using at the time. YMMV but I became an instant convert.

Interesting, I'll have a look into it. So far because I now live in New York where my S2000 is not as necessary for errands and such, it can stay in the garage if the weather's bad. But as my parents (who live in the Hudson Valley) get older, I am starting to think about something that can work in all weather conditions or for longer distance drives. Will have a look into silicon tires but ultimately I still don't enjoy driving the S2000 anytime the top is up

 

[ghce]

abrod520

Interesting, I'll have a look into it. So far because I now live in New York where my S2000 is not as necessary for errands and such, it can stay in the garage if the weather's bad. But as my parents (who live in the Hudson Valley) get older, I am starting to think about something that can work in all weather conditions or for longer distance drives. Will have a look into silicon tires but ultimately I still don't enjoy driving the S2000 anytime the top is up

The quality of top end Honda product is quite addictive and the S2000 is a car I have lusted after for many years but with changing marital status kids and a young family it slipped down the priority list with me selling off performance cars and buying family orientated people movers and practical shopping trolleys.